The Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) is set to produce four films this financial year, as a continuation of its project to promote the works of women filmmakers and filmmakers from the SC/ST (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) communities. Two of the films would be by women, while the other two would be helmed by aspiring filmmakers from SC/ST communities.
In the ‘Films Directed by Women' category, the KSFDC selected Victoria to be directed by Sivaranjini J, and Mumtha by Farzana P for production. The films by directors from SC/ST categories are Pralayasesham Oru Jalakanyaka, directed by Manoj Kumar CS, and Kaadu by Suneesh Vadakkumpadan. The KSFDC received entries from 41 women directors in the first category, while 62 persons applied from SC/ST category. A jury comprising filmmaker Rajiv Nath as chairman, writer VJ James and danseuse-writer Rajashree Warrier as members selected 15 applications from the two categories, an official statement said. In the second phase, the number of films was whittled down to five each from both the categories.
After a team led by film directors Amit Tyagi, Priya Krishnaswamy and Atul Taishete evaluated the submission and presentation of screenplays by the makers of these films through online and offline workshops, four films were selected for production. The directors from both categories (with five films each) were selected by a jury comprising directors Priyanandanan as chairman and Salim Ahamed and Rajashree Warrier as members.
In the first year of the project, the KSFDC had produced the films Nishiddho by Tara Ramanujan and Divorce by Mini IG, in the first category. Of these, Nishiddho was screened at the last International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). Mini’s Divorce is still awaiting a release. The next year, the films of Sruthi Namboodiri titled B 32-44 and Indu VR’s Nila were chosen for funding. These are now in the post production stage.
The project to fund films by directors from SC/ST category was launched only in 2020-21. Shooting of two films – VS Sanoj's Ariku and Arun J Mohan's Pirathi – chosen under this category are currently going on.
(With PTI input)